Cefotaxime twice daily versus ceftriaxone once daily: A randomized controlled study in patients with serious infections

• Published in: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 155 - 157
• Main Authors: Simmons, B.P., Gelfand, M.S., Grogan, J., Craft, B.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.1995; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Bacteremia - drug therapy; Bacteremia - microbiology; Bacteremia - physiopathology; Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Bacterial Infections - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Cefotaxime - administration & dosage; Cefotaxime - therapeutic use; Ceftriaxone - administration & dosage; Ceftriaxone - therapeutic use; Cephalosporins - administration & dosage; Cephalosporins - therapeutic use; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Treatment Outcome; Human; Antibiotic; Chemotherapy; Cephalosporin derivatives; Treatment; Intravenous administration; Antibacterial agent; Comparative study; Dose activity relation
• ISSN: 0732-8893; 1879-0070
• DOI: 10.1016/0732-8893(95)00080-T

We randomized 365 patients with serious infections to treatment with either 2 g intravenously (IV) cefotaxime every 12 h or 2 g IV ceftriaxone once daily. Clinical response rates were similar in both treatment groups, with success defined as satisfactory or improved response in 107 of 124 (86.3%) evaluable patients in the cefotaxime group compared with 103 of 114 (90.4%) evaluable patients in the ceftriaxone group. Bacteriologic cure rates were also similar in the two groups (86.4% in the cefotaxime group compared with 87.0% in the ceftriaxone group). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of drug-related adverse events in the two groups. These results indicate that 2 g cefotaxime twice daily is as effective, both clinically and bacteriologically, as 2 g ceftriaxone once daily in serious infections caused by susceptible pathogens.